Cisco Certified Network Consulting and Support

Cisco offers an extensive catalog of wireless networking devices and software tools engineered to provide anywhere, anytime access to information and other resources and to promote teamwork among employees, associates, vendors, and clients. Cisco's wireless offerings include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of wireless access points, plus Cisco's Wireless Network Controller modules and standalone devices. Progent's certified wireless experts can help businesses of all sizes to deploy Cisco wireless products to support the current paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) computing by integrating their tethered and untethered environments to achieve easy deployment, consistent and fast performance, centralized management, enterprise-wide policy, high availability (HA), and advanced protection.

Cisco's Unified Wireless Network solution can scale to as many as 18,000 wireless access points with Layer 3 connectivity across central or remote venues like enterprise headquarters, university auditoriums, branches, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's Wi-Fi wireless access points and wireless controllers are part of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are engineered to deliver the identical level of security, performance, and manageability for WLANs that companies expect in their wired ecosystem. This architecture incorporates integrated mobile services such as Voice over IP, high-definition IP video, and safe guest access. Cisco's Unified Wireless technology enables organizations to build Wi-Fi environments that streamline the way they do business and enhance productivity through a mobile and connected employee base.

Progent's Cisco CCIE network infrastructure consulting services offers remote or on-premises expertise to assist you to plan, deploy, manage, expand, and repair converged wired/wireless networks of any size and for any environment. Also, Progent can provide value-priced online and on-premises wireless site surveys to help you to design and install a Wi-Fi LAN with custom-designed access point clusters optimized for your specific work area layout, building characteristics, and application workloads.

Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst lines of wireless access points allow organizations to converge wired and wireless networks to deliver the accessibility, capacity, performance, protection and ease of management required for practically any scenario. Cisco's access points start at bare bones, single-band 802.11b/g/n units with throughput of 300 Mbps for very small companies or telecommuters to 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) wireless access points suitable for handling hundreds of clients on each AP and offering data rates of more than 5 Gigabits per second. Cisco's current line of APs can be clustered to deliver the capacity to handle sites crowded with clients and with high usage rates of HD video applications.

Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of Access Points
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of access points are Linux-powered units designed as entry-level Wi-Fi APs for light workloads. Many models in the Cisco Small Business portfolio of APs work with Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which makes it possible to set up, control and repair a cluster of wireless access points from a single AP via an intuitive browser-based tool. All of the models support POE and provide Quality of Service (QoS), rogue AP detection, and bridging for connecting to a second Ethernet LAN.

Cisco's Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N AP is a wallmount, single-band 2.4GHz unit able to handle 16 active 802.11b/g/n clients, has a Fast Ethernet interface, allows up to four access pointss and 40 wireless clients per cluster, and supports sustained throughput of up to 300 Mbps. The Cisco Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n AP that can handle 16 active clients per radio for a total of up to 32 wireless clients, features a GE port, and delivers sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not support clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 is a value-priced dual-radio 802.11ac/n access point that features a one Gbit Power over Ethernet (PoE) port and can support up to 16 clients per radio with 867 Mbps performance for 802.11ac clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. The Cisco WAP1501 supports four access points for each cluster.

Cisco's Small Business WAP321 model is a wallmount selectable-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11a/b/g/n device with support for up to 80 wireless clients in an 8-device cluster. The WAP321 has a GE interface and can support sustained throughput of 300 Mbps for the selected radio. Cisco's Small Business WAP351 is a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n wireless access point that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet interface and can handle 32 active clients per radio for up to 64 clients, and support a sustained data rate of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP351 access point does not allow clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 is a dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 wireless access point that features a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, allows 32 active WLAN clients on each radio, and offers 867 Mbps throughput for wireless AC clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 supports eight WAP361 access points for each cluster. Cisco's wall-mountable WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-radio device that supports 802.11a/b/g/n as well as the new 802.11ac IEEE Wi-Fi standard. The WAP371 includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, can handle as many as 32 active clients on each radio, and 8 APs per cluster.

The Cisco WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band AP features one 10/100/1000 Ethernet port and two concurrent radios that deliver 450 Mbps throughput for each radio, can handle 64 devices for each radio, and allow up to 16 APs for each cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is similar to Cisco's WAP 561 but has a single selectable band. The Cisco Small Business WAP571 and WAP571E (a ruggedized outdoor version) are dual-radio 802.11ac access points incorporating 2 x GE ports with link aggregation (LAG), 3x3 MIMO, and up to 1.9 Gbps performance with 1300 Mbps on 11ac and 600 Mbps over 802.11n. Both devices can handle 32 clients on each radio and 16 APs on each cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Wave 2 AP complies with the Wi-Fi 5 standard and features 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO to deliver 2.8 Gbps data rates on the 5.0-Ghz radio and 600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz for an aggregate top data rate of 2.4 Gbps. The WAP581 includes an integrated 2.5G Ethernet port and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface with 802.3at Power over Ethernet (PoE). The WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 access point supports as many as 200 connective client users, up to 50 active users for each radio, 16 access points for each cluster, and 960 active client users for each cluster.

For more information about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Cisco Small Business series of wireless access points, refer to Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 wireless access points consulting services.

Cisco's Aironet Line of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Aironet family of wireless access points has for years been the market leading access point solution. Aironet wireless access points range from value-priced entry-level devices to advanced APs. The Aironet series span multiple generations of models supporting the evolving Wi-Fi specification. The latest portfolio of Aironet access points support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and incorporate 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, which offers three times the speed plus greater distance and user density than the previous generation of APs. The latest multi-band Aironet access points can accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients without 802.11ac radios.

The earliest Aironet access points are now legacy devices that have come to end-of-life status and are not supported by Cisco. Progent still offers support for the complete Aironet line of access points and can assist you to maintain your existing Aironet Wi-Fi system or move efficiently to the latest Aironet products. For more information about Progent's consulting services for both current and outdated Cisco Aironet access points, refer to Cisco Aironet wireless access points consulting services.

Meraki Wireless Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki 2.4/5 GHz indoor wireless access points range from value-priced models for small businesses to advanced products that offer up to 5.9 Gbit/sec throughput. Every Cisco Meraki indoor access point provides high-end features such as plug-and-play deployment, in-depth security, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, extensive traffic analysis, automatic web-based updates, and centralized cloud management via an intuitive dashboard. Every Cisco Meraki indoor access point also incorporates dual powerful client-serving radios with enhanced reception plus a separate radio that offers intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection at line rate.

Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points are IP67 rated, designed to withstand rugged outdoor conditions, and tested to resist dust particles, vibration and humidity. Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and deliver advanced capabilities such as cloud management with multi-site control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan, single-click guest access and isolation firewall, Layer 7 traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with beamforming. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Meraki wireless access points and management, refer to Meraki wireless access points planning and support.

Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6 APs
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax wireless access points are designed for deployments ranging from telecommuter homes to high-density convention centers. Catalyst 9100 APs are based on the 802.11ax standard, known as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz radio bands. Headline technologies supported by Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series APs include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better reliability, Target Wake Time for conserving power usage in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum use, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 access points support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, accommodate up to 200 clients per Wi-Fi radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax APs, see 802.11ax APs solution planning, configuration, and debugging consulting.

Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless controllers allow you to automate and manage advanced Wi-Fi networks that support 802.11ax access points. 802.11ax, also called Wi-Fi 6, improves on prior generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) devices by delivering lower latency and more predictable performance, allowing higher client density, providing greater protection, saving energy for battery-powered handheld devices, and allowing more versatility for supporting new types of IoT endpoints. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 line wireless controllers include always-on availability with transparent software updates, live fixes, and the ability to connect additional wireless APs without downtime. Enhanced cybersecurity technologies include Cisco Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS), image signing, and Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry permits you to track and understand network and endpoint health.

All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 line are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or Prime Infrastructure management tools. Catalyst 9800 wireless network controllers can support Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 access points as well as Cisco Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for Cisco 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, see Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 wireless controller appliances solution design, deployment, and management services.

Cisco Wave 2 Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers enable realtime communication, provisioning, administration, monitoring and troubleshooting for Cisco Wi-Fi devices and services. Cisco offers both hardware and virtual wireless controllers for centralized administration of WiFi networks, but WLANs with a large number of Wi-Fi APs typically require physical wireless controllers. Current generation Wi-Fi controller appliances from Cisco deliver significant advantages over Wave 1 and earlier models such as greater throughput, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and advanced, built-in protection.

The Cisco 3504 WiFi Controller is an entry-level device with a desktop enclosure and intended for small and medium-sized businesses. You can use the 3504 model in a centralized network environment such as in lean branch and home-based offices managed across the wide-area network with Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where Ethernet cabling is limited. The 3504 wireless controller supports as many as 150 access points and 3,000 users, offers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 wireless controller includes a multi-gigabit Ethernet interface and four 1-GB Ethernet interfaces. APs can be connected to the controller via two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 wireless controller offers subsecond failover for APs and users, which allows nonstop availability for apps. Like other current Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers available from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated ability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.

The Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit form factor, is designed to support midsize to large organizations and campus environments and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 1,500 access points and 20,000 users, offers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and features SSD storage, redundant fans, optional redundant power supplies, and rapid failover for high availability.

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2 rack unit (RU) enclosure, is a high-end WiFi controller intended to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 Wireless controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and supports as many as 6,000 access points and 64,000 client users. The 8540 Wireless controller offers throughput up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller includes four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features solid-state storage, dual power supplies, redundant fans, and rapid failover.

Wave 1 Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the time and expense needed to configure, monitor, and operate wireless networks by centralizing control of critical functions such as setting up access points, enforcing single-point policies throughout converged LANs, supporting enterprise-wide QoS for voice and video, monitoring and troubleshooting network performance, activating intrusion prevention tools to guard against unauthorized access and Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and handling IPv6 clients. Cisco has developed wireless LAN controllers for businesses of all sizes and offers standalone desktop controllers, modular add-on wireless controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and switches with built-in wireless controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers include Cisco CleanAir tools to minimize RF interference and produce self-healing wireless networks for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and protection. Built-in Bonjour Gateways permit discovery and policy across the enterprise for Apple-based applications. For high availability, Cisco wireless controllers allow AP and client stateful switchover by enabling a backup HA controller to synchronize with a primary wireless controller for AP license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the primary controller fails, thousands of APs and clients can switchover in less than a second to the backup wireless LAN controller.

Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers deployed by smaller organizations and branch offices. This value-priced and expandable solution can handle up to 200 wireless access points and up to 6000 clients. (To find out about Progent's remote and on-premises consulting and troubleshooting support for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and management support.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and branches and come with an integrated wireless controller with the ability to support up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity for each switch and 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients per switch or stack. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches intended for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and include a built-in wireless LAN controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput on each switch and support for 50 access points and 2000 wireless clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is a plug-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless controller intended for mid-to-large size businesses and able to deliver 20 Gbps throughput and with support for up to 1000 access points and 15,000 wireless clients. (To learn concerning Progent's consulting services for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco Catalyst switches configuration and troubleshooting consulting.)

Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop devices that simplify the deployment and management of wireless LANs for SMBs and branches. The Cisco 2500 wireless LAN controller supports 5 to 75 APs and 1000 clients and offers sustained data rates of 1 Gbps.

The Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large sized organizations and campuses and can manage up to 500 wireless access points and 7,000 clients while delivering 8 Gbps performance. Cisco's 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large campus environments with support for 1000 APs and 12,000 wireless clients and delivering throughput of 60 Gbps to handle high client densities and high amounts of video-intensive applications.

Cisco's Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is intended to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless remote sites from a single location, avoiding the requirement for a Wi-Fi controller at every remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 appliance lets you establish a private cloud to configure, monitor, manage, and troubleshoot up to 6000 wireless access points and 64,000 clients while supporting 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device designed to manage Wi-Fi environments for very large campuses or for service providers and can scale to support 6000 APs and 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps performance.

To find out more about Cisco wireless controllers, visit Cisco wireless controllers consulting services.

Legacy Cisco Access Points, Bridges and Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the IEEE 802.11ac specification for Wi-Fi largely made obsolete the prior releases of Wi-Fi products for many venues that support high densities of wireless clients and high incidence of video-intensive software applications. Even for organizations who do not need the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, a large number of Cisco wireless products have reached end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can pose serious maintenance and regulatory compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants provide remote and onsite support services for a broad range of older-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can also assist organizations to assess the business case for updating up-of-date wireless infrastructure and can assist in planning and executing cost-effective, seamless upgrades. Below are a few of Cisco older-generation Wi-Fi devices that Progent's consulting experts continue to support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet APs
Cisco Aironet 1000 or 1130AG family wireless access points are ideal for offices and similar sites which have minimal environmental instability. These products include integrated antennas that provide predictable omnidirectional range profiles. The 1130G Series WAP is designed for controlled locations that do not allow 802.11a operation.

Cisco Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG Series access points are ideal for more difficult RF situations such as factories or above suspended ceilings which typically require adjustable protruding antennas and ruggedized cases. The 1240G Series access point is available for regulatory locations that do not allow 802.11a operation.

Cisco Aironet 1500 family lightweight outside wireless mesh access points provide a cost-effective, expandable, protected outdoor wireless technology for enterprise campuses and for public sites that need connectivity for portable phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges provide a high-speed and multi-featured solution for integrating multiple local area networks in a metro area or public access environment. Cisco bridges provide a versatile, easy-to-use technology that satisfies the security demands of WAN professionals. They support both P2P and P2MP deployments with good range and the ability to handle traffic throughput up to 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges deliver throughput several times higher than E1/T1 connections for far less cost, erasing the need for expensive leased lines when connecting separate offices. Because wireless bridges have no recurring costs, the expenses saved on leased-line services quickly cover the startup hardware costs. Self-installed private lines and even leased lines using copper or fiber-optic cable can result in considerable initial expenses in cases where they are impeded by obstacles like highways, railroads, or lakes and rivers. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges can be deployed rapidly with a fast return on investment.

Cisco Aironet 1300 family outside access points/bridges can be deployed as stand-alone access points, bridges, or wireless group bridges. These products have a durable enclosure and offer high-speed, cost-effective wireless interfaces between multiple fixed or mobile networks and users.

Aironet 1400 family bridges provide fast, dependable outdoor connections for line-of-sight (LOS) applications. They include a ruggedized enclosure that can hold up to harsh outside environments and can operate within wide temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco WLAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers provide single-point management of WLANs by streamlining the control of common technologies such as intrusion prevention, real-time RF management, automatic deployment, and full N+1 redundancy. Cisco WLAN controllers operate with lightweight access points to deliver superior performance and advanced administration capabilities.

Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers provide the control, scalability, protection, and dependability that network managers need to create safe, enterprise-scale wireless environments, from branch offices to small businesses to main campuses. Cisco's legacy Wireless Controllers can be clustered to provide accommodation for as many as 2400 wireless access points for each roaming domain.

The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Module for IS Routers provides small-to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and enterprises an affordable way to deploy and control protected WLANs at satellite locations. These products supervise up to twelve Cisco Aironet access points and are installable in 2800/3800 Integrated Services Routers and Cisco 3700 Series IS Routers. (For information concerning Progent's online and on-premises support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and management services.)

How Progent's Engineers Can Help You with Cisco Wireless Devices
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consulting professional to help you to plan, install, maintain and repair a converged wired and wireless ecosystem integrating a broad array of wireless devices that provide the same protection, scalability, and manageability you demand from your wired network. Progent can help you to manage legacy Wi-Fi products from Cisco or migrate seamlessly to current 802.11ax-compatible products. Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security consultants can show you how to build security into your WLAN and your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planners can show you how to configure the high availability (HA) technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired technologies so your converged infrastructure provides continuing business value.

Progent’s Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and implement a robust wireless network optimized for your facilities, offering a wireless ecosystem that provides seamless coverage, high performance and density, QoS to support IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and easy management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be performed remotely to cut time and expense, or on premises to deal with more difficult environments.

For a further discussion of Progent's wireless integration capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless LAN Help.

To find out more details concerning Progent's consulting assistance for Cisco products, choose a topic:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Network Support
• Fast and Affordable Online Support from a CCIE Consultant
• Cisco Firepower NGFW Series Firewalls: Integration and Management Expertise
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewall with Firepower: Consulting and Troubleshooting Services
• ASA 5500 Firewall Integration Expertise
• Cisco PIX 500 Series Firewall Engineering Services
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points Design Services
• Cisco Small Business WiFi Access Points Engineering Services
• Catalyst 802.11ax Wireless APs Solution Design, Configuration and Debugging Consulting
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Consulting
• Cisco Meraki Access Points Design Expertise
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and CallManager Integration and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP (VoIP) Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Consulting Services and Cisco Wireless IP Phone Configuration
• Cisco Jabber Migration and Support Services
• Catalyst Switches Deployment Services
• Nexus Switches Configuration and Maintenance Services
• Cisco Meraki Switches Support and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco VPN Engineering Expertise
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP PSTN Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Consulting
• Design and Support for Cisco-based Data Centers
• Data Center Design Expertise for Internet Service Providers
• Streamlined Management Solutions for Cisco-based Infrastructure